What a beautiful bride!

Jessi and Lance's day was perfect from beginning to end.  The only "cloud" on the day was the very brief rain shower.  Right after she came down the aisle, it rained for just a few minutes, and then right after the ceremony was over and everyone was standing outside congratulating the happy couple, it rained again, just a little harder, so everyone ran for cover.  Once the rain was over, the party began and lasted until about 11:00.

Here are a few pictures from the big day.

Rehearsal on Friday afternoon...short and sweet!

This is a fountain on the grounds of The Greystone Mansion in Auburn, AL.  The home was built in 1892 and is gorgeous!

Making herself even more beautiful.  She was the calmest bride I have EVER been around.  No worries, no concerns.  About 30 minutes before the ceremony, she began to show some signs of antsiness, but it was just because she was ready to get the show started.

Her dress was AMAZING!  I looked as if it had been specially designed just for her.  No other bride could make it look so good.

A picture says a thousand words...

Oh, to be as young and beautiful (and thin) as Jessi...

Jessi's flower girl Bailey.  She is so cute!  She provided the laughter.  She got about half way down the aisle before she turned, yelled "I want Mommy!" and ran back down the aisle.  She probably had more fun dancing afterwards than anybody.

The back of the dress

All of the flowers were done by Jess's friend Alison.  They were awesome!  She worked herself to death all day long.

The bridal bouquet...stunning!

Molly, Jessi, and Katy...three very beautiful sisters.

This may sound conceited, but I am quite proud of this picture.

Molly and Katy, the gorgeous bridesmaids

Father of the bride...He looked so very handsome in his tux, but it almost took the National Guard to get him in it and then to keep him in it until pictures were over.  In his defense, the humidity was stifling!  Of course, he was making a goofy face, and this is the ONLY picture I got of him all day.  Thankfully, the official photographer will have some. 

I.  LOVE.  THIS.  PICTURE.  Again, it may sound conceited, but dang, I think I did a good job on this one.  Then again, it isn't hard to take a good picture when the subject is so beautiful.

This is Lance's nephew Eli.  He was the most handsome ring bearer.  You gotta be quick to get his picture, though.  LOL  He is really a cutie pie.  I could just eat him up.

Another picture I just love!  They did the "traditional" groom doesn't see the bride before she walks down the aisle, so this was the only physical contact they had all day long.  Look at their faces...you can just see the excitement and anticipation in their eyes and their smiles. 

I didn't get any pictures after the ceremony.  My brain was bouncing all over the place, and I didn't even think about going back up to the bride's room to get my camera.  The reception was wonderful, and the pahhhhty (said in a deep Southern dialect) afterward was a blast.  The happy couple are in Cancun, hopefully relaxing and enjoying their first day as Mr. and Mrs. 

Like I said, the day could not have been any more perfect.  Lance and Jessi were surrounded by family and friends who love them and will support them throughout their lives together.  John and I are so happy to welcome Lance to our family.

I hope the week ahead is filled with nothing but HAPPINESS and LOVE for you!

It's wedding week!

This time next week, Lance and Jessi will be an old married couple happily married newlyweds and on their way to the lake with me Cancun for a wonderfully relaxing honeymoon.  Please pray that they have a safe trip there and back and that the weather is perfect.  Jessi has never flown, so that will be an experience for her.

I think she has most everything taken care of, so maybe this week won't be extremely hectic for her.  Of course, she knows that if there is anything that needs doing, all she has to do is call and I'll be on it.  I'm planning on staying at the lake until Wednesday, but if she were to call right now and tell me she needed me to do something for her first thing in the morning, I'd be there.  Some things are more important than hanging out at the lake. 

She is going to be one of the most beautiful brides ever.  (I can't say she is THE most beautiful bride ever because Katy was absolutely gorgeous as a bride herself.)  Kay, Lance's mom, and I met Jess at the bridal shop the day she went for her final fitting.  When she came out of the changing room, I teared up.  (She said she told Lance she knew I'd cry.  She knows me pretty well.  LOL  I will seriously need a handkerchief for the day of the wedding.)  Her dress is gorgeous, and the style "fits" her perfectly.  And the dress FITS her perfectly.  Honestly, she could model for a bridal designer.

Lance will be an extremely gorgeous groom as well.  (Again, I can't say his will be THE most gorgeous groom because Phillip was quite gorgeous on his wedding day.)  I know he's really looking forward to wearing a tux.  LOL  Jessi has told him that as soon as the wedding is over, he can put on his Teva's.  He'll be stylin' in a tux and Teva's at the reception. 

I ended up having to buy a second dress because when I took my first dress to be altered, the seamstress snipped a tiny hole in it.  I took it back, and he fixed it.  It is barely noticeable, but I still know it's there, and I'm not wearing it.  Not for the wedding anyway, but it's one I can wear elsewhere.  The dress I ended up getting is very simple.  It isn't "mother of the bride" at all (and there is a whole long story about that, but we're not going there.)  This is a dress I can wear to work, to church, to anywhere, yet it is very classy.  And classic. 

John's tux will be ready to be picked up Thursday afternoon.  At first, Jessi wanted him to wear just a suit, but she messaged me one day and asked if her daddy would be okay with wearing a tux.  I told her he absolutely would be okay with wearing a tux if that is what she wanted him to do.  He would wear a pink bunny suit (think A Christmas Story) if that is what she wanted him to wear.  He will look so handsome as he walks her down the aisle.  He has no qualms whatsoever about "giving" Jessi's hand to Lance in marriage.

John and I are so very happy for Jess and Lance.  He adores her and would walk to the ends of the earth for her, barefoot and through fire if necessary.  He will protect her and do everything within his power to see that she is happy and well taken care of.  What else could parents ask for their daughter's mate?  Wayne and Kay are crazy about her as well, and that makes us feel good as well.  I have several friends who do not have good relationships with their in-laws.  I can't imagine being in a relationship where my in-laws didn't like me.  Thank God my father-in-law and my mother-in-law accepted me as a daughter and didn't see me just as their son's wife.

To Lance and Jessi...May God bless your life with much happiness and joy.  May your days be filled with sunshine.  And not that I'm rushing you, but I can't wait for the phone call saying we're going to be grandparents again.  LOL  Your daddy and I love both of you so very much, and we are so very happy for you!  Congratulations and best wishes!

When pigs fly

Are these not the cutest pieces of yard art? John and I were on our way to Sam's birthday party yesterday when we passed a little shop in Chelsea with all of this kind of stuff out front. He saw the rooster, so on our way back by, we stopped to look. We ended up getting the rooster and the flying pig. Too cute, I think! Of course, I love things that are rustic. These will be living at the lake.

We have had such a great weekend! It all got started on Friday night with dinner at Cocina Superior with Susan, Tim, Amy, and Stephen. Tim's birthday was Saturday, we decided we needed to celebrate. John and I then spent the night at Susan and Tim's because Sam's party was at 10 AM Saturday.

We are so lucky to have Susan & Tim as friends. They aren't just friends...they have become family. Tim was an only child, but he has said that John is as close to him as a brother, and I know John feels the same way about him. And I feel as if Susan is a sister. It is really interesting at the number of times our paths crossed throughout our lives. Piano recitals when we were 9 (her aunt was the teacher), I had her uncle for a teacher in high school, her dad performed a wedding I was in...and the list goes on. She and I were meant to be friends.









Amy & Susan









Susan & me










John & Tim



On Saturday, we got up and relaxed for a while before heading to Mike and Darlene's for Sam's 2nd birthday. It's hard to believe the little man will be 2 on Wednesday! He is such a cutie, and his independence is beginning to blossom. I told Jessi that he is already beginning to develop his selective hearing. She said, "Yeah, it's a Vest thing." And she is so very correct about that! LOL Sam's Poppa John has a terrific case of selective hearing. hahaha

Sam got TONS of toys and new clothes. Katy and Phillip are going to have to buy a bigger house just for his stuff.










Mommy, Daddy, & the birthday boy










Sam loves him some cake. :)










Poppa John & Grana gave him a classic Radio Flyer tricycle.

My beautiful, beautiful family. God blessed me so much, and I thank Him each and every day for the joy and love that these six people bring to my life.

The older I get, the more I realize how precious family and friends are, and the more I realize that life is much too short. Too many times we've been too busy, too tired, too broke...whatever...to get together and make memories. Life doesn't have to be filled with WOW moments. Sure, those are nice, but so is sitting on the porch, relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

Some of my best memories from my childhood revolve around sitting on Grannie's porch or MaMaw's porch listening to the adults talk while I played in the yard. What I wouldn't give to have one more opportunity to do that again.

I hope you have a GREAT Sunday and a GREAT week!

Christmas 2009

Just a few pictures from our 2009 Christmas. Hope you enjoy!

HARTSELLE 2009

John's mom, Billie. The reason we're all together. :)

Danny & Linda

John, the reason I get to be a part of this wonderful family. :)

Tisha (talking to Jay by Skype) and Tim

Connie was missing Blain. He was stuck in a snowstorm in NC. :(

Amy is the oldest of the grandkids. She's giving somebody a very serious look. :)

Allen belongs to Amy. (They are Will and Maggie's parents.) He is very intent on something.

These two beautiful girls belong to John and me. Katy is the third of the grandkids, and Jessi is the fifth. (No one is really sure where the second one is. NC, we think...) The handsome guy is Lance, Jessi's wonderful boyfriend.

And John and I claim this handsome guy, too. This is Katy's hubby Phillip. They are Sam's mommy and daddy.

Libby Ann is the grandkid between Katy and Jessi. She was missing her hubby (Jay who was in Iraq at the time, but he is now home for three weeks.)
***SOMEHOW I MISSED GETTING A PIC OF LUKE. THIS IS WHERE HIS PICTURE WOULD BE IF I HAD GOTTEN IT. SORRY, LUKE!!!***

Zac, the oldest of the great grandkids. He and Will had been playing hard, but they stopped long enough to eat (very little) and to open presents.

Will is the next in line. He is one funny kid! He loves to ham it up for the camera.

Next we have Landon. And yes his hair really IS that white. Every time he opened a gift, he would exclaim "It's perfect!" or "I can't believe it!" His daddy is Jay.

The next munchkin is Sam. It was SO bloomin' hard to get this kid still for pictures. He was all about getting in with the big kids and playing ball. He'll be in the midst of them for sure next year.

And the last of the great grandkids (for now...) is sweet Maggie. She is our only girl, but she's just as happy with a ball as a baby. Will is her big brother (in case you can't tell by looking at their pictures.)

This is someone who just wandered up and decided to join us. LOL Seriously, it is Keith, a cousin. He is the entertainment at most family gatherings. LOL

My handsome dad

and my beautiful mom...they have celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with the Vests for many years.

June is Blain's mom. I'm hoping she'll be joining us for holidays for many years. :)

The sad thing about family gatherings is that we are missing so many loved ones, but we are making so many wonderful memories with the new ones. I think one thing that is just as hard as missing those who are no longer with us is the fact that only a couple of hours after these pictures were made, Billie didn't remember who was or was not there. Several times later that night she said that she would love to see Mom and Dad because it had been so long since she'd seen them, or she would ask questions about how big Sam is getting. Alzheimer's is the most horrible disease there is. Both parents of a friend of mine have it. Their home health nurse told Jan and Beth to pray they died from cancer instead of getting Alzheimer's.

Dadeville 2009

Aunt Jessi playing with Sam

I LOVE this picture of Katy and her daddy. This man could not love his daughters any more than he does!

My mom and dad

Phillip, Katy, Lance, and Jess opening gifts

Aunt Jess and Sam again

Katy was playing with her...I mean Sam's...Little People Farm. lol Actually, I think we ALL played with it. Sam seemed to love it.

Isn't he a gorgeous kid?? Looks JUST like his daddy! YUMMY!! Poppa John fixed breakfast for him.

Just LOOK at those eyes!!!